LionNapped
by Mysia Ri
Summary: AU. Based off themes created by KitsuneKittis and ApocalypseSakura on deviantart. Marik has been kidnapped by the owner of a freak show! Can Akefia and his circus crew find and save him? Well, you'll just have to read and find out. Sickleshipping
1. Chapter 1

AN: PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR NOTES! IT'S IMPORTANT!

**Warning:** this story contains strong language, violence, blood, and other things. "If you're over the age of 18 and have never heard the word "fuck" before...well you have now!"(3)

This story has a circus theme to it that was created by **KitsuneKittis** on deviantart. Look her up, her stuff is amazing!

This story is a fanfic based on her world and is NOT intended to be cannon to her stories seeing as I don't own the idea, I just had an idea based on her idea. A fanfic based on a fanbase of a fandom. Crazy, huh?

This story will likely also contain characters from a Wonderland themed universe created by **ApocalypseSakura** who is on deviantart as well. Look him up too. In fact look up their group: **Shattered-Mirror-Me** on deviantart. Very cool and awesome.

There will be yaoi references, mostly Thief King Bakura x Yami Marik. Mostly there will be awesome action happening with yaoi as a side-dish.

Oh, and I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh either. No one really does except Kazuki Takahashi.

With that out of the way, here's a little explanation:

Akefia (aka Thief King Bakura) = The Ringleader of the Nightmare Circus  
Marik (aka Yami Marik) = Half human/half lion pet of the ringleader  
Bakura (aka Yami Bakura) = Knife-thrower  
Malik (aka Marik Ishtar) = Acrobat  
Ryou (You know who I'm talking about this time) = Clown

If/When I get to the point of a Wonderland version of a Yu-Gi-Oh character appearing I'll explain them too. And if you really want to know what everyone looks like, **_go to deviantart(dot)com and look up KitsuneKittis, ApocalypseSakura, or just go straight into it and look up Shattered-Mirror-Me._**

I'm posting two chapters now and then working on a chapter of this, Hikari to Yami no Enishi, or SideQuest. I won't tell you which one because even I don't know anymore. Too many ideas not enough typing speed.

Without further adieu, I hope you enjoy the story. And for the record, I'm posting each chapter on deviantart first in order to give the aforementioned creators of these themes a chance to poke me with knives if I get someone OOC. Just a heads up :3 *cough look up mysia-ri on deviant art cough cough*

* * *

The first thing Marik noticed upon waking was how badly he hurt. The next thing was that his mouth was dry, his throat burned, and his stomach felt empty. The lion groaned, rolling onto his side and noticing yet another thing wrong: he was sleeping on the ground, flat on his back. Lavender eyes cracked open and surveyed the unfamiliar dirt and grass, nose wrinkling at the unfamiliar smells that assaulted him.

"Good morning, my dear little lion."

A muscle twitched in his brow at the unfamiliar...no, vaguely familiar voice. His head tilted and he strained to focus on the person speaking to him. The man who smiled down at him wore an off-white suit with teal trim. His long hair was teal as well as his right eye, his left being a bright gold color. Around his neck hung a round, emerald pendant edged in gold with a six-pointed star design drawn on it in black. That symbol set off a few bells as well in the lion's mind, but he was finding it hard to think.

"Are you still feeling out of sorts?" the man asked, coming to stand closer to Marik as though he had nothing to fear. He didn't even seem fazed when the lion growled at him in warning, struggling to get to his feet. "Ah ah, you need to stay down. You'll hurt yourself." He paused, pursing his lips. "What's the last thing you remember? I was worried that with your fever you might have...forgotten some things."

'What is he talking about?' Marik wondered, grimacing as he racked his brain. The last thing he remembered was that it was nearing time to start practice and he had spotted someone snooping around. Feeling a bit frisky, the lion had chased after the intruder. After a little chase, the fool man had reached for a gun and Marik had lunched at the man and ripped out his throat. After that...

"Where's my master," he growled, hoping it came out as threateningly as he had intended it.

"Oh I was afraid you would ask that," the man tsked softly, kneeling down and reaching to scratch Marik behind an ear. The lion thrashed feebly, trying to twist around and bite the man's wrist. "Shh shh, Marik. You need to rest. Don't you remember? Akefia sold you to me."

Marik froze, staring up at the man as though he had told him that the sky were made of pudding.

"Bull fucking shit, where am I? Who the fuck are you?" the lion growled, trying to get up again but his arms didn't seem to have the energy.

"Hmm, I'll remind you. I don't mind. Five days ago(1), Akefia and I made the final deal. It took quite a bit of convincing and money. Honestly I'm surprised I was finally able to find his price." The man shook his head. "But you are here in my...museum, so to speak. Here you will be cared for and will never have to work or worry about being beaten. You'll just have to put up with a few patrons coming to marvel at your physique and unique qualities and will be well cared for. I know it will be a bit of an...adjustment, but you'll be happy here."

Marik knew the man was lying to him. He knew that Akefia would never abandon let alone sell _anyone_ in his crew, least of all himself. Everything smelled wrong and this man was just begging to be torn to pieces.

And yet the words seemed to seep into his brain and twist his memory of the past few days, which were vague to begin with.

An image of his master brandishing his whip made Marik shake his head violently and he used what strength he had to twist and swipe his claws at the man's smiling face. The look of primal triumph replaced with shock and confusion when the smile remained on the man's lips.

"I brought you a small meal," the man informed him, reaching behind him and bringing forth a paper plate with a small, raw steak on it. "You haven't eaten since you fell ill. After three days, it's best to start small. I'll check in on you later, Marik. I promise you things will get better after you've eaten and fully recovered."

The lion brought his hand before him, curious to see if he had even scratched the man and his eyes widened.

"Oh that. Yes, well we couldn't tend to you while you were ill. You were flailing around and out doctor couldn't take your temperature let alone administer your treatment." He started walking away, pausing only a moment more. "Oh, because you seemed to have forgotten, my name is Dartz."

* * *

"How is he, master Dartz?"

Dartz, momentarily ignored the short-haired blond to drop into the leather chair behind his large, oak desk. He turned to look out the large windows that over looked his outdoor "museum". He had acquired in his time numerous creatures of all shapes and sizes. His prized attraction was a large sea creature he had dubbed "the Leviathan". There had been, to his knowledge, only one creature he had never been able to claim.

Some time ago he had stumbled onto the Nightmare Circus and taken in a show out of curiosity. He had to admit that Akefia's crew was impressive despite their small numbers. Even the clown had some appeal.

It was during the last act that Dartz saw something that shocked him. Marik, the strange man-lion. He had wondered how word of such a creature had never reached him and was filled with desire to possess it. He approached the ringleader after the show and made an offer, doubling, even quadrupling it when the tanned man had turned him down outright. It quickly became evident that continuing to pursue the matter would land him a place in the next show or worse. He made a quick apology and vanished into the night.

But he still wanted that lion. It became a obsession to him to find a means to claim him. He sent one of his men to find a way. It had taken months of planning and scheming before Dartz felt comfortable enough to make a move. True he had had to sacrifice one of his men for the job, but he had never been fond of Alister anyway. And Valon had succeeded.

"The drug seems to be working, but it will take several more doses to fully erase his memory of that annoying circus man," Dartz tsked, crossing his legs and leaning back in his seat. He held out a hand and a glass of wine was slipped between his fingers. He idly swirled the glass before taking a sip. "Has Valon reported?"

"Yes sir. They have noticed the lion's disappearance but don't seem to suspect foul play just yet. He's disposed of Alister's corpse as you ordered and will be attending their show this evening."

"It's been 28 hours(2)," Dartz mused. "Make certain to give Marik another dose while he's sleeping and tell him that whole little ditty we've composed."

"Is that-"

"Dangerous, yes yes," the teal haired man cut him off. "Raphael, he will be _fine_. We aren't giving him large doses yet and the sooner he forgets his circus life, the sooner we can open his exhibit for display. It's likely that circus man will find out his precious pet is in a freak show as soon as we start showing him off and it will be easier for us if he doesn't _remember_ him, yes?"

"Yes sir," Raphael replied evenly, bowing slightly even though he was out of his master's line of sight. He turned to do as he was told and a smile spread on Dartz's lips.

* * *

AN: Oh snap! Marik's claws have been cut? Dartz must have a death wish :o

(1)Dartz just told Marik he's been sold to him five days ago. Wait for it...

(2)Dartz lied. It's only been 28 hours.

(3)That's a quote from an outtake special of Dragon Ball Z Abridged. If you've never head of DBZ Abridged, you must live under a rock. Go look it up! :3

Oh and yeah. I just killed off Alister. I'm sorry.


	2. Chapter 2

Marik stared at the small bit of food he'd been left by Dartz.

'I haven't eaten in three days?' He snorted at the thought. True he felt hungry, but not starved. 'I've been here for five days?' That was even more laughable. Part of his mind seemed to think it was possible, but he had decided that little voice could shut up and die in a fire. He knew he hadn't been there that long. It wasn't possible. Five days? The ringleader would have already destroyed Dartz in that time and he would be lounging in a tree or enjoying some "quality time" with his master.

The tan lion winced, his head spinning as he thought of the circus. He scrowled at the steak as his stomach rumbled. 'The fuck I'm eating anything he gives me. Probably spiked or some shit.' With a frustrated grunt he rolled away from the meat and half-dragged himself to the base of the nearest tree, the effort nearly making his black out. Finally he curled up the best he could and closed his eyes, his thoughts on home and wondering what his master was doing.

* * *

Akefia sat in his room, his beloved top hat sitting on the table beside him. He stared at the door, lost in thought.

Two shows. Two fucking shows. Where the hell was that damned lion? Oh it wasn't the first time Marik had vanished for a day or two, true. But this time seemed strange. It wasn't something he could directly place his finger on, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

After some consideration he decided that he would look around tomorrow and see if he could figure out where his pet had run off to. One thing was certain in his mind as he readied himself for bed: Marik had better have a damned good excuse for his absence or he would whip his tanned hide twice as hard as he already planned to.

* * *

The sound of approaching footsteps yanked Marik from his nap and he instantly growled at the source. Still hungry, he was at least feeling a little stronger and pushed himself onto his knees, baring sharp teeth and clipped claws, momentarily forgetting the condition of the latter.

This man was different from the last. He was obviously strong, his hair was blond and cut short, and he regarded Marik with calm, blue eyes. He halted several paces away, though the lion could tell it wasn't out of fear but something else. Respect perhaps?

Lavender eyes flitted from the man to a skittish doe that was trying desperately to escape the leash securely around it's neck.

"A lion prefers to eat it's own kill," he began, producing a machete from a holster on his side. "Seeing as you're still a bit weak, however, I hope you don't take offense."

Marik slowly relaxed a bit, though only enough to stop snarling, and watched with some fascination as the man used the long blade on the terrified creature's neck, wrestling it to the ground as he thrashed for a moment before laying still. As he got up he slashed the creature's belly and withdrew to a reasonably safe distance, motioning to it as if to say "dig in".

The lion was skeptical but felt a little more at ease with the thought of eating something he had seen killed in front of him rather than some scrap of meat from who knows where. He crawled toward the deer and gave into his hunger, eying the blond who had yet to leave. After goring himself for a few minutes he wiped some blood from his mouth on his arm.

"Where am I?"

The man gave him a strange smile that boarded on being a smirk. "Shouldn't your first question be "who are you?"?" His smile only grew as the sour look the lion gave him. "My name is Raphael. As for where you are, Marik, you are in a place called "Paradise"."

"That's a laugh," the lion spat, still eating while he listened. "Where's the circus? Why am I here?" He decided that so long as this man would answer his questions he might as well ask away.

Raphael shrugged. "I'm not certain where your circus is now. Truth is you were brought here by another man under master Dartz's orders. Since he brought you himself, I imagine it's within a 100 mile radius of where we are now." He looked away from Marik, seeming to find something of interest above them. "You are here because master Dartz bought you from your former master."

'So he's going along with that story,' Marik scrowled. "And I suppose you'll tell me I've been here for five days as well?"

"Actually it's closer to six now," the blond said flatly, still looking away. He returned his gaze to the tan lion. "This place really is a paradise for those like you. You'll be well cared for and treated with respect. You should try to accept it because nothing will change the fact that you will be here for the rest of your life. If you fight it, master Dartz will be forced to use drastic measures. Once you accept it, you'll be far happier." He turned on heal and started to leave.

"This place has walls doesn't it?" Marik asked, causing Raphael to pause. "I haven't explored yet but I noticed the bars up there at least," he pointed up where, as he had stated, bars made certain that there was no escape from above even if the trees reached them. "You call it "Paradise". I call it "Prison"."

Raphael glanced back silently a moment before taking his leave. "Whatever you don't eat will be cleaned up when you're asleep. Take some time to explore and think about what I've said."

Marik continued eating, noting the direction Raphael had gone. When he had finished he shakily got to his feet, swearing colorfully at how weak he still felt. Still he was determined to explore, starting with finding an exit so he could try to get home. He followed the path Raphael had gone and found exit to be a formidable steel door that didn't appear to have a way to open it from the inside.

He decided to come back to that and made his way around the perimeter. The walls were painted to make it seem that there was endless space. They were also polished and smooth which made scaling them out of the question. The walls also curved so there were no corners. It was a sizable pen and there were a good number of trees that blocked the view of the walls but most weren't very suitable for climbing and all had their leaves were thinned out to make it difficult for him to hide and get the drop on anyone.

After several minutes of walking he came across a mirrored section of wall and did a double take. On the other side of the mirror he thought he saw a shadow looking back at him. Curious he studied the mirror closely, narrowing his eyes until he saw it again. It looked almost like someone was waving at him. He made a face and cupped his hands against the mirror, pressing his face against them to try and confirm what he was seeing. A young man looked back at him, laughing and waving his hand again until something startled him and he ran off.

"It's a two-way mirror, Marik," Dartz's voice startled him. He rounded on the man instantly, growling and pressing his back to the wall. "It's the strongest type of glass them make too," the teal haired man continued, strolling confidently toward the mirror just yards from the irate lion to rap his knuckled against it's surface. "Made to protect buildings from flying projectiles during a hurricane. You'll be quite safe. And any visitors that come to see you will be nigh invisible." Dartz smiled, studying Marik pridefully. "There's also a small indoor spring if you keep following the wall and you'll be provided a fresh wardrobe-"

"I'm happy with what I'm wearing now," Marik snapped, his tail flicking. He was waiting for Dartz to look away for just one second. He may not have his claws and he was weakened by whatever they had done to him to get him here, but he knew he could break the man's neck if he had an opening. Something in the back of his mind whispered to him that he shouldn't attack Dartz but he had previously decided to ignore that voice since it didn't know what it was talking about.

"Oh?" Dartz seemed a little put off, eying the tattered shorts that Marik wore. "I had thought you had been forced to wear them. Should you change your mind, just let Raphael or myself know. Still, you must see the spring. It's small, but there are fish in there for you to snack on." His smile returned as he beckoned the lion to follow him. "Of course you can bathe there as well."

Marik crouched slightly, wasting no time in his plan. He had just launched himself at Dartz with all the strength he could muster, the man's hair brushing his fingertips before something hit his back hard and sent him sprawling to the ground. He let out a startled cry as a booted foot landed on his back painfully, knocking the air out of him for a moment.

"Why is he acting like this?" Dartz snapped at Marik's attacker. "He should at least be more docile now!"

"I don't know, master Dartz," Raphael replied, not removing his foot. "Perhaps the drugs aren't affecting him?"

"I knew it," Marik coughed, growling a bit as he caught his breath and struggled to get loose, grabbing for Dartz's leg.

"We'll just have to up the dose I suppose," Dartz sighed, taking a step back. "And we'll enact plan B"

"Plan B, sir?"

"Don't question me, Raphael. Just do it," the man snapped before looking down at Marik, smiling again. "One way or another you will obey me, my lion."

Something sharp jabbed Marik in the side of the neck and he roared, struggling to get free for a moment more before darkness swallowed him.

* * *

"You're crazy."

"I know what I saw!"

Mai yawned, leaning on the counter of the small diner she'd stopped at. Her show last night had gone on longer than expected and she knew that if she were tired, her crew would be exhausted. She had decided to give them all a treat and buy breakfast for them. As she looked over the menu she tried to ignore the two gossiping beside her.

"I'm telling you he had this crazy blond hair and tan skin and a tail. He was like a lion!"

Suddenly her interest was piqued and she eyed the pair out of the corner of her eye.

"I don't even know how you could go to that Ori-callous place."

"It's Orichalcos Paradise."

"It's a _freak_ show."

"Excuse me boys," Mai intervened, seeing a fight brewing. She leaned forward slightly and adopted a flirtatious demeanor. "I couldn't help overhearing. You say you saw a man that looked like a lion?"

For a moment the two men stared at her at a loss for words. Finally one of them grinned up at her and nodded. "Yeah, though my idiot friend doesn't believe me."

"Hey!"

"It was over at Orichalcos Paradise, which is on the other side of town," the first man continued, ignoring his friend. "They have all sorts of strange and bizarre creatures there. The lion-guy was in a closed off area so I don't think anyone else outside that place as seen him yet."

"What exactly did he look like?" Mai asked, leaning on the counter and giving her long blond curls a flip. If she knew nothing else, she knew how to get information out of straight men without too much effort.

"Guh..w-well he...he was pretty tall I think...and he had wild blond hair that was all spiky and hair or fur or something around his neck. And he was only wearing a pair of shorts. Oh! He even got close enough that I got a look at his eyes. They were a purple color. D-do you want to go see him?" he asked, suddenly, his face as red as a stop light. "I could show you how to get there, though they'll chase you off as soon as they catch you!"

Mai smiled and motioned vaguely toward the server behind the counter. "I have to place an order for my family but maybe after that we could meet up? Write down the directs for me from here and we'll meet up at noon," she said sweetly. 'In your dreams,' she added to herself.

"Oh! S-sure thing!" the man flustered.

"I'll come too," his friend insisted. While they argued that point, the blond placed her order.

'It sounds just like him but what's he doing in a "freak" show? There's no in _hell_ the Ring King would...I'll go take a look for myself and see if it's really him. I should also see where the Nightmare Circus is right now. I should still have a schedule laying around somewhere.'

* * *

AN: Here she comes to save the daaaay! Well, Mai might save the day We shall see what we shall see, eh? I haven't written the next chapter yet. You'll just have to wait :3

*sets a box of Lion-Marik plushies just behind the review button as if to give you a hint winkwinknugdenugdesaynomore*


	3. Chapter 3

AN: And so in this chapter I mention another 'verse: Wonderland. This one was dreamed up by ApocalypseSakura on Deviant Art. Go check out his stuff (OMG he's a guy and he likes yaoi! They do exist!)

Once again, I don't own the Circus or the Wonderland universes (oft times refereed to as " 'verses" or "mirrorverses"). I'm just writing this story. Oh and none of us own Yu-Gi-Oh. I'm pretty sure that if I owned it, 4-Kids would never have gotten their hands on it ;3

Anyway, I posted this on DA and let it sit for a while. No on complained (and KitsuneKittis faved it) so I figured it'd be safe to post it here now. Besides, I'm a little stuck on this chapter of SideQuest. I'm trying to make it exciting and informative. Wish me luck XD Hopefully I'll get it finished today :3.

Without further adieu, enjoy this chapter and make sure you look up KitsuneKittis and ApocalypseSakura on deviantart(dot)com!

* * *

The sun was nearing it's highest point over the Nightmare Circus and the Ringleader was beginning to lose his patience. On top of that, the nagging feeling that something was wrong was stronger than it had been the night before and he paused in his search to lean against a tree, using his hat to fan himself a bit. After a moment he eyed his hat and began wondering if Marik could have somehow gotten too close to it.

After all, his red hat was more than an accessory that Akefia favored. It was, in fact, a rare, one of a kind item that he had stumbled upon in his youth. Hidden inside it was a gateway to another world called Wonderland where logic was optional. Marik had accidentally learned this some time ago and they had all gotten tangled in a mess involving the Queen of Hearts.

Former Queen, as the man had been stupid enough to mess with Akefia and his crew not once but twice.

'There couldn't have been a chance for him to go there...And even if there was, he'd be back by now.' He hummed in annoyance, setting the hat back on his head and heading back toward his trailer. 'It can't hurt to check.'

Once he had returned and assured that the door was locked behind him, he removed his hat and accessed the portal within, feeling a sharp pull before he plunged into darkness followed by seeing a kaleidoscope of colors all round him. Finally his feet touch the ground, having gotten used to the trip after all this time. He straightened up, dusting himself off as he started walking.

* * *

Bakura watched as Akefia returned to his trailer alone, knowing where the man had been out looking for Marik. In truth, the knife-thrower had started to worry about the lion as well. That his boss had felt it necessary to try looking for him and had seemingly failed only made it worse.

'Didn't even bother asking us to help,' he thought, tsking as he twirled a knife in his hand. He left his hiding place and headed to Malik's trailer, baring in without even a curiosity knock.

"Marik's still missing."

The acrobat looked up from his lunch, frowning in annoyance. "I noticed that earlier."

"Yeah but the King went looking for him and didn't find him either," the knife thrower commented, crossing his arms over his chest.

Malik expression changed from annoyance to concern. "Really?"

Bakura nodded. "I think we should take a look for ourselves. If the King's worried enough to go looking for him then something ain't right."

Malik nodded, ignoring the remainder of his salad and getting to his feet. "I'll get Ryou."

Bakura nodded again, turning to leave and assuming Malik was a step behind him. The knife-thrower looked around before deciding to start his search at the base of Marik's favorite tree.

* * *

Marik's eyes cracked opened slightly. If he had been feeling bad the first time he'd woken in this place, he felt horrible now. His head throbbed, his mouth felt dry, and he didn't have the strength to move much at all, which wasn't helped by the fact his wrist were bound tightly behind his back. He blinked a few times, shifting to try and at least get comfortable when he felt a sharp pain in his side.

"Master Dartz," Raphael began, a sharp look from his master silencing any protest.

Marik coughed, managing a soft growl.

"I tried to be nice and reason with you," Dartz tsked, crouching down and petting Marik's hair by why of apologizing for the kick. "But if you want to act like an animal, I will have to treat you like one."

"Perhaps if we-" Raphael began again.

"Raphael, go get his "medication"," the teal-haired man ordered. "Now Marik, if you just accept that I am your master now, your life will be far easier. You'll be fed whatever you want, be pampered, and you'll have whatever you want." He made a face, rubbing a bit of the blond's hair in his fingers. "And you'll get a proper bath every day. You'll be treated like a prince rather than some animal."

Marik snarled at that remark, wishing he could move and irritated at how easily this man seemed to hold him down.

"I know what you're thinking," Dartz sighed. ""Akefia will come for me and kill you" or something like that, right? He's not coming, Marik. He doesn't even know where you are."

"F-fuck off." Marik growled trying to get away from the man. He felt Raphael grab one of his arms, something cold swiping the inside of his elbow. For just an instant, he froze, his entire being tensing up. He couldn稚 remember the first time he had been drugged. The second time had been a quick stab that dropped him into unconsciousness.

This time, however, he was fully awake for whatever they were intending to do. And despite how gentle Raphael seemed intent on being, it didn't change the fact that it was all just a little too familiar. Being poked with needles. Being called an animal. He felt a prickle of fear that it instantly converted to anger, fueling the rage and hatred he already held for the teal-haired man. A surge of adrenaline gave him just enough strength to thrash out of the blond's grip, dodging the incoming needle. He couldn't get his hands free and so settled on the next best thing, lunging forward just enough to sink his teeth into Dartz's forearm.

What happened next was a bit of a blur. He tasted blood in his mouth and bit down harder, trying to do as much damage as possible. Someone was hitting his on the head, trying to get him to let go. Someone else was trying to pry him loose by force. He struggled against his ropes, angry at himself for both being in this situation and for being unable to shake off the weakness and general sickness he was feeling from whatever they had been drugging him with.

The last thing he felt was a familiar stab in his arm and a wave of nausea before they finally managed to get him loose. He could still hear though he felt paralyzed. Dartz was yelling and swearing while Raphael was calling for assistance and trying to calm him down so his wound could be treated. Before falling unconscious once more he heard the teal haired man yelling something about not feeding him for a week.

* * *

"That...that...ingrate! He bit me! Me!" Dartz howled, his left forearm wrapped tightly and cradled in a sling against his chest. "I'm trying to be patient! I'm trying to be nice!"

"Maybe it would be best if we simply returned him to the circus?" Raphael suggested. "If he-"

"Are you out of your mind?" Dartz cut him off, breathing erratically. "Do you have any idea how much time and money I've spent to get him here? He belongs to me now, not that pompous arrogant circus man. No, I will make him understand that this place is his new home and that I am his new master. I tamed the Leviathan, I can tame this...brat." Dartz drew in several breaths before calming down. "Raphael, remember that I know what is best. It will seem cruel but if Marik insists on behaving like an animal, he will be treated-and punished-like one. Only temporarily. Only until he learns that this place is his new home."

"...Yes master Dartz," Raphael relented, unable to go against Dartz's will.

"Now then, I will return tomorrow morning. Make certain the Leviathan is fed and that everyone does what they're supposed to. Just because I have to go to the hospital does not mean they can slack off."

"Yes sir," the blond bowed slightly, watching as one of Dartz's personal physicians escorted him out of the building.

Another set of eyes watched as well, their owner resisting the urge to try anything against the already injured man.

'So it is Marik. On the one hand I should probably leave and try to find the King...on the other I don't like the thought of leaving Marik in this place.' Mai pouted a bit before giving her blond curls a toss and glancing to the door that clearly indicated that non-employees were to keep out. She stealthy moved closer to it.

"Is he gone yet?"

Mai froze before turning to pretend she was interested by a nearby exhibit: a large terrarium containing a pair of massive spiders.

"He will be back in the morning," Raphael replied to the newcomer. "And he expects everyone to work while he is away."

"The nerve of him," the second man laughed. "I'm going to go take care of Kraken...you ok Raphael?"

"I'm fine Mako," the blond replied distractedly as he walked away. "I'm going to make rounds."

"Sure. Later," Mako shrugged, whipping out his ID card and opening the door.

Mai moved quickly to catch the door before he could close and slipped into the hallway beyond it and closing it softly. She knew she would have to be fast and regretted only that she wasn't better prepared. Still, she had a few tricks up her sleeves and slipped off her heels so she could try to get the jump on the man who had entered ahead of her. As swiftly and silently as she could, her hurried after him, readying her only weapon she had on hand. He turned to face she when she was only two feet away, opening his mouth to say something.

In the next instant he had brought his hands to his face, crying out in shock and pain as his eyes and mouth were both assaulted by a dose of pepper spray. Tossing the spray aside, Mai grabbed his hair, jerking his head down to meet her knee as he brought it up. Mako cried out again before going limp and dropping to the ground.

Mai retrieved her spray and her shoes before "borrowing" Mako's id card and quickly racing down the hall in case someone had heard. The further she went, the more she heard the sound of pumps and rushing water. She looked at every door she passed, noticing how they were marked. She was surprised that she didn't run into anyone else before locating the door she was looking for. With a quick swipe of Mako's card, the door unlocked and she hurried into the enclosure, pulling it closed behind her and letting out a sigh.

"That was almost too easy," she mused, looking around. It didn't take long for her to locate the tan lion.

"Marik!" She cringed at the blood on Marik's mouth and the ground and hoped it wasn't his. She dropped to her knees beside him, shaking his shoulder gently. "Marik, wake up hun. Let's get you out of here." She frowned when she barely received a grunt in reply and began working on tying his hands. "Shit, what'd they do to you sweetie? The King's going to level this place."

"K-ng?"

Mai smiled, scratching behind one of Marik's ears. "Yes. Akefia. We're going back to him as soon as I get you loose."

Marik leaned into the touch a bit, a soft purr rumbling in his chest.

"Unfortunately, you won't be going anywhere."

Mai cringed, looking up at Raphael as he approached.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Look! Proof that I am alive! Sorry I haven't been updating...much of anything lately :p Lots going on right now.

Now if you've been following me on deviantart (mysia-ri(dot)deviantart(.)com), this has been up for a couple of days now. I like to give the creators of these "mirror 'verses" a chance to read them before I post them here (and then I mention again that the circus theme belongs to KitsuneKittis and the Wonderland theme to ApocalypseSakura, both found on deviantart. Halloween Town (mention in this chapter) is bAbYTwiiNks'...um...baby... and then I tell you to go see their works because theya re awesome and all :3)

I really need to buckle down and write. Hopefully I can get back on a good schedule in the near future and pump out chapters like I used to. It might not be until October at this point but I will try to keep updating when I can until things settle down.

In the mean time, hope you enjoy this update. ^^

* * *

"Marik? He hasn't been around here," the Mad Hatter said, frowning a bit.

Akefia crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes wandering over the various food and teapots scattered over the large table before him. He had declined a seat as he was too anxious about Marik's continued absence, not that he'd admit it aloud.

The Mad Hatter, who looked like and had the same name as Malik, poured himself another cup of tea and began adding an insane amount of sugar to it. Sitting nearby was a man that much resembled the circus' knife thrower, Bakura, who he also shared a name with in Wonderland he was also known as the March Hare.

"What made you think he came here?" the hare asked, more concerned than the hatter seemed to be.

"Because I hadn't seen that damn cat for almost in two days and I wanted to make certain he wasn't playing hookie in Wonderland," the Ringleader tsked. Most people would fall for Akefia's cold front, but then most people didn't know how much he cared about his crew, Marik in particular.

"We could ask the King of Spades," Malik suggested rather cheerfully. "If Marik did come here, maybe he went that-a-way!"

"You could also try Halloween Town if you haven't yet," Bakura added. "Though here or there, someone should have told you by now that Marik had dropped in." The hare raised a brow slightly, catching the hint of a frown the crimson clad man was trying to hide. He suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders and let out a quiet sigh, a small smile tugging at his lips and wondering if the person who had landed there had read his mind.

"Maybe I could be of assistance?" a voice asked, though the person attached was invisible save for a mouth that was smiling almost too wide and a tail purple tail striped black and adorned with a gold ring that swished playfully. The rest of the man appeared soon after looking identical to Marik though his fur was purple with black stripes and his tail was bushy. "I could go back with you and sniff him out. Shouldn't be too hard if it's only been two days."

Akefia was silent a moment before nodding. "Fine."

* * *

Marik's eyes opened slowly and he shifted, his limbs protesting the movement. He was surprised to find he'd been untied but his throbbing headache made it hard to think of why it really matter. He sniffed a bit and tried to convince his body to stand. After a few fail attempts he managed to get to on his hands and knees in a low crouch and began crawling toward the "spring" he'd been directed to before. He seemed to take hours and he wasn't certain he'd be able to reach it but there was a sense of relief when it came into view.

It was more a fountain and the promised spring, water falling from an upper tier to one below it and that in turn to another and finally into a larger pool at the bottom that was roughly five feet wide. The whole thing stood about six feet tall and was at least made to look as though it were made of rock.

At the moment the lion didn't care what it was made of as he grabbed hold of the side, peering down into the water for a moment and noting that it was a few feet deep at least. A few shapes moved beneath the surface but they weren't any fish he'd recalled seeing before: too large to be goldfish but all the wrong colors to be any type he'd eaten before. Most had at least some white in their color, some gold, orange, and black.

Shaking his head slightly he put the question of what was in the fountain aside and began lading handful of water into his mouth in an attempt to rid himself of the dry numbness that had overtaken it. Afterward he took a deep breath, screwing his eyes shut and plunging his head into the water, letting the coldness soak in in hopes that it would help clear his head. He relaxed briefly, feeling a bit of himself returning, and moved to pull his head out.

Only his arms suddenly suffered a momentary bout of weakness. His eyes flew open in alarm and he let out nearly all of his remaining breath unintentionally. For a few, tentative seconds he thought he was going to drown but finally his managed to push himself back, landing on his ass and sputtering, one hand wiping the water from his face almost angrily. The moment passed and both hands move to wring the water out of his hair.

"Well that was just stupid," he grumbled. With a sigh, he flopped onto his back and stared at the sky through the bars that made up the ceiling of his cage and let his mind wander. True his mind was a bit clearer and he should be formulating a plan to escape, but what could he accomplish? He was alone and weakened by whatever they had been injecting him with. Even if he did manage to break out, how far could he get in his current state? And what was happening back at the circus? Surely they had noticed his absence by now, but were they worried? Would they find him if he couldn't escape on his own? He didn't even know where he was. For all he knew the circus may as well have been right next door or on the other side of the world.

Scrowling a bit at his negative thinking, he rolled onto this stomach and forced himself to crawl to a nearby tree. Sitting up on his knees he decided to at least make a conscious effort toward his eventual attempt to escape, digging the sad stumps that had once been razor sharp claws down the tree trunk, wincing at both the effort to do so and the odd, near painful feel of the experience.

"It'll take me days to get them good and sharp again," he growled, forcing himself to repeat the motion with his other hand and then alternating them in a rhythmic fashion, determined to work through the fatigue.

* * *

Akefia checked the time again, almost annoyed that it was nearly time to head back to the tent. With or without Marik, the show did need to go on. Bakura, Malik, and Ryou had already been chased back to get ready.

"Still nothing?" he tsked, looking down to where the Cheshire Cat was sniffing.

"Hard to say," the feline man replied, narrowed eyes scanning the ground. "This is the freshest trail I've found, but I smell something else too..." he sniffed again, wrinkling his nose. "Or someone. Kind of fishy, no pun intended." In an instant he vanished from sight again, though the Ringleader had little trouble telling where the other was going. He sighed, deciding to follow though it would mean he would have to run back to make it in time. They headed further into into the woods until-

"I smell blood." Akefia paused mid-step as Cheshire reappeared suddenly, circling an area of grass and debris that looked strangely dead. "Not Marik's though. The fish-guy I smelled. It's washed out by something else though..." Lavender eyes darted around the clearing, the cat moving quickly in search of a trail. "Someone else was here too but I-ah" he reared back, shaking his head and wrinkling his nose. After an unsuccessful attempt to stop them, he sneezed a few times and got to his feet.

"What is it?" the Ringleader asked, noting that he didn't see any blood let alone much sign of a struggle.

"Gah that fucking burned," the cat growled, sniffing. "Someone sprayed...something here."

The ringleader clenched his jaw, looking over the area once more. He felt honestly torn between his duty to the circus and his desire to try and learn what had happened here in hopes it would lead to finding Marik. With a low growl he turned and started back. "Stay here and see if you can find anything else. I'll be back."

The Cheshire Cat watched the other man leave before looking around a little, not wanting to risk another sniff of whatever had made him sneeze. It hadn't been a scent he'd been familiar with, though everything in this world smelled different to him. After pondering a moment if this was how Marik felt on his felt trip to Wonderland, something glimmered in the grass and caught his attention. Stooping to retrieve it, he found it was a small button that has a design marked onto it that his was unfamiliar with. He pocketed it before continuing to search for several more minute to no avail.

Finally deciding there was nothing else to see, he smirked to himself and faded from sight again before heading back toward the big top. He was worried about his circus counterpart, but he didn't want to miss an opportunity to see the show.

'Besides my nose needs a break,' he told himself. 'After this I'll find that sexy lion. Just hang in there Marik.'


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I have four days off! And I didn't even have to ask! So hopefully you'll see a lot of updating going on.

Once again, I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh (Kazuki Takahasi), the circus theme (KitsuneKittis on dA) or the Wonderland theme (ApocalypseSakura also on dA).

I updated this on deviantart last night while I was off doing laundry. If you aren't watching me there yet you should. I post stuff there too!) Other than that I'm also starting to go through Hikari no Yami no Game and clean it up a bit. Just fixing errors and rewording a few things. I'm blaming it on the fact that's it's almost been a year since I started it.

And don't worry, I will finish every story I started. Every one of them. Rawr.

But for now: LIONNAPPED FOR YOU!

* * *

Mai sat on a small cot, eyes glued to the heavy door that barred her exit. She knew the door was unlocked but her ankles had been cuffed to the bed allowing her to do little more than sit or lay down. She had spent the better part of two hours trying to find a way to get free and intended to continue in her attempts as soon as she was certain she wouldn't be interrupted by Raphael again.

The door opened and the man in questioned entered quietly carrying a small tray of food.

"Normally we do not feed trespassers," he informed her calmly. After sizing up the tall blond for a moment, Mai took the tray he offered and set it on the bed beside her. Raphael returned to the door and closed it before turning to face her.

"So, now you're mister chivalrous and attentive I see," Mai huffed, meeting his gaze.

"What were your intentions with Marik?"

"I'll ask a better question. Why is Marik here?" she countered, narrowing her eyes.

Raphael folder his arms over his chest, taking Mai's question into consideration. "He has a better home here. He will be safe, well fed, and attended to by the finest physicians. It is the belief of Orichalchos Paradise that all beings deserve to be treated with respect."

Mai blinked a few times. "And you said all that with a straight face? Is keeping him locked up in a cage your way of keeping him safe? Is he well fed when Dartz was out there telling you not to feed him for a week?" She stood a took as far as a step forward as her chains would allow. "Is keeping him drugged up and cutting his claws off your way of showing him _**respect**_?"

Raphael held her gaze evenly seeming unfazed by her growing anger. "He is only being kept locked away and drugged until he can learn that this place is his new home. Once he has had time to adjust then-"

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" Mai snapped back. "Do _you_ honestly believe that? You were even suggesting sending him back to the circus, which is where he belongs!"

"So you are saying that he deserves to be sent back to a place where he is whipped and beaten, lives in a cage, and is treated like an animal when he is clearly not?" Raphael asked.

"Is that what you think his life was like?" Mai scoffed. "He does have a cage but he was free to leave it whenever he wants. And he was never treated like an animal by anyone there, least of all the Ringleader. As for getting whipped and beaten, well," she smirked, chuckling a bit. "I've heard some of the noises coming from the Ringleader's trailer when I traveled with them, but I can assure you that no one was unhappy with being whipped among god only know what else was going on." She caught the confusion in the other's eyes and shook her head. "The Nightmare Circus is like a family. You aren't saving Marik by keeping him locked up here, you've kidnapped him and taken him away from his family. Tell me, is that another policy of this place?"

Raphael was silent for a moment before turning to leave. "Master Dartz will return in the morning to speak with you. Please leave your try beside your bed and I will come for it later."

As he left, Mai sat down, annoyed when she heard the door's lock click into place but still feeling somewhat triumphant. "Seems I touched a nerve."

* * *

The show seemed to end abruptly with the lack of Marik's act, though the crowd still seemed satisfied with what they had seen. Cheshire found himself pouting a bit as he wondered exactly what the missing lion's act comprised of as he slipped out of the tent unseen.

Moving stealthy he decided to head back to the spot he had been investigating earlier when something caught his attention. A ear twitched as he spotted a man who seemed to be talking to himself. With his enhanced night-vision, Cheshire could see the man had short, rather poofy but spiked brown hair, a pair of goggles resting atop his head. He wore a red, sleeveless jacket with a high collar that was partly open to reveal a white shirt underneath. Curious as to why the man was seemingly hiding in the shadows, the tanned kitty crept closer, trying and hear what he was saying.

"About time. Honestly I was starting to get bored. I was wondering when he'd let me come back." The man paused, moving away from the tent. He was holding something against his head as he slowly walked toward the crowd of people leaving. "Well I'll be back in the morning. Dartz'd better be waiting to give me a raise, bonus, and two weeks paid vacation when I get back."

Cheshire tilted his head slightly, creeping closer closer still. A familiar scent caught his attention and his eyes narrowed as he dropped to a low crouch.

"After making me follow this place for months it's the least I deserve," the man chuckled. "Yeah same to you Mako. Careful you don't get mauled by a girl scout." Another voice was heard shouting from the small device the man had been holding as he folded it in half and placed it in his pocket. Seconds later the man found himself pinned to the ground from behind and struggled to get free. He felt claws digging into his shoulders and heard a growl near his ear which only made him panic at the thought of being attacked by a wild animal.

"Get off me! Help!" His cries were muted suddenly as a clawed hand clamped over his mouth.

"What's going on?" Bakura's voice demanded.

The man struggled, only succeeding in getting Cheshire to flip him onto his back, clawed hands tearing his jacket open. "Get this...animal off me!"

The knife thrower was stunned for a moment before he realized what must be happening. "Cheshire Cat?"

"What are you doing back here?" Akefia growled, approaching the man. Cheshire appeared rather abruptly as opposed to his usual fade-in, lavender eyes glaring daggers at the man beneath him.

The man gaped, breath catching in his throat. "Y-you! Th-that's impossible!" He began noticing in his panic, however, that the one who had trapped him had purple fur on his ears and wore more clothing. "You're not the lion."

"And this isn't yours," Cheshire growled, pulling a crimson collar out of the man's pants pocket and dangling it over his face.

"I...I found it," the man tried to lie. He watched as a white gloved hand took the collar from Cheshire, the owner's visible eye peering down at him coldly. A knife buried itself into the ground beside his head, clipping his ear as a silent warning to stop struggling.

Cheshire pulled something else out of the man's other pocket and handed it to Akefia as well. The Ringleader flipped it open and glanced at it before giving the man a dark glare.

"Valon." He tossed the wallet to Bakura, tightening his grip on Marik's collar. "It seems to be that we need to have a _chat_."

Valon had the distinct feeling that he wasn't going to get that paid vacation after all.

* * *

AN: Oh silly Valon. You can't lie to the Ringleader. But don't worry, I'm sure he just wants to talk to you about where you got that lovely jacket at.

...Lawls.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I'm still alive, I swear! It's been a busy month so far getting into the swing of working at a different store and being in the midst of the holiday season (and being abducted by my boyfriend...)

Never fear, though, as I plan to have an update for SideQuest soon! (Yes yes, I know. I need to update all of my stories...)

Enjoy!

* * *

Raphael stared into his mug of coffee, the dark liquid offering little comfort to the new thoughts turning over in his mind. The words of the blond woman he had spoken to earlier had gotten him thinking and he now had a pounding headache that made him feel as his his head were in a vice. Furthermore his chest had even started to feel constricted. He had stopped by and reported his symptoms to one of their medical staff and had been assured that a remedy would be delivered. As he waited his thoughts returned constantly to Marik.

The half-man-half-lion had been Dartz's goal to obtain since that fateful trip to the Nightmare Circus so long ago. Even now Dartz obsessed over Marik and even after being injured he was determined to tame the beast through any means necessary. Raphael frowned, raising his mug to his lips in hopes that the dark liquid would help him find focus.

'Marik is dangerous even when drugged,' he thought to himself. 'Starving him isn't the answer, neither are those...drugs...'

"Hey Raph!" Raphael glanced up as Mako approached carrying a tray. "I heard you weren't feel good so I went ahead and grabbed you some dinner. Chicken and rice fresh from the cafeteria with a big glass of iced tea and the daily dose of vitamins." The man sat down across from him, raking his fingers through his dark hair. "Man my head still hurts. What'd you guys do with that woman who jumped me?"

Raphael studied the tray that was placed before him. Beside his plate was a small plastic cup with four pills in it which he picked up and examined thoughtfully. "She's being held until master Dartz returns."

"What the hell was she after anyway?" Mako asked, slouching back in his seat. "Couldn't be money or she wouldn't have been back there of all places. You listenin' Raph?"

Raphael grunted a bit in reply, studying the pills he had been given one by one. "What are these?"

Mako blinked at the larger man a few times before slowly replying "Vitamins. The same ones Dartz always has us take. You've been here longer than me, you should-"

"But what are they exactly?" Raphael cut him off thoughtfully. "C? B? Iron? I've never been told."

"Huh. Now that you mention it I have no idea, " Mako admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "Everyone takes them because Dartz tells us to. I think it's his way of keeping us from calling out sick," the added with a chuckle.

"When we all live on site and have free access to a full medical staff?" Raphael wondered, holding the cup of pills eye level.

"Good point...Where you going?" the dark haired man asked as the blond rose and headed off. "You haven't even touched your plate!"

"You can have it," Raphael called back, leaving without another word.

* * *

Marik laid on his back and stared at the scratches on the tree the loomed over him. He wasn't satisfied, despite his trembling arms and sore claws, but at least he felt he had made some progress. He was thirsty and felt weaker still from hunger than just whatever they had been injecting him with.

Slowly he forced himself to roll over and proceeded to haul himself toward the small fountain once again when he heard a faint beeping, the slightly squeak of metal on metal. With a growl he grabbed the edge of the fountain and hauled himself to his feet, willing his legs to support him so he could face whoever approached him.

"You never fail to amaze me, Marik," Raphael said as he appeared through the trees. "May I-"

Marik growled as loudly as he could muster at the blond, cutting off whatever he was about to say. He made to lunge at the man but only manage to stumble a few steps before his knees buckled and he found himself face down on the ground.

"Stay...away," he growled out as Raphael approached, his beet feet stopping less than a foot from the fallen lion's head. Marik tried to get up, torn between wanting to put distance between them or tear the man's face off. A strong hand on his back pinned him down easily in his weakened state. He turned his head to glare up the the man, baring his teeth at him.

Raphael regarded Marik with a silent frown for a moment before moving his hand to pet the lion's unruly hair.

"Forgive me for this but it is the only way," Raphael muttered. His other hand suddenly held a needle which was quickly inserted into the lion's arm, it's contents emptied under the skin. Marik roared and tried to fight off the blond or at the very least bite him but the world suddenly grew darker around him, his body no longer responsive to his commands. Slowly everything seemed to fade out of existence and he almost felt as though he were floating, only the feel of Raphael's hand petting his hair remaining until the darkness swallowed him and he felt nothing at all.

* * *

Ryou quietly left his trailer so as not to wake anyone. He hadn't bothered getting fully dressed in his usual costume as the sun was only just peeking over the horizon, not that it's first rays had yet to reach the circus' grounds. The young clown made his way to the kitchen, tying his hair back into a high ponytail as he went, a style he only sported when he was cooking to keep his hair out of the way.

He had nearly arrived at his destination when he heard two voice. Pausing, he tilted his head and realized that he didn't recognize them. Nervously, he glanced around and wondered if anyone else would be up this early. As quietly as he could he back tracked a bit and hurried to Bakura's trailer, confident that the knife-thrower could easily handle any intruders. What he hadn't expected to find was Bakura's trailer door unlocked and the pale occupant no where to be seen.

The voices he had heard seemed to be growing closer again and he looked around quickly, locating a piece of wood he could use to defend himself as he turned to face whoever approached.

"Who's there?" He demanded, trying to sound as confident as he could.

"Hey, there's some one!" one voice, a male, said. Two figures approached him and he started to wish he hadn't said anything.

"Sorry, we don't mean to trespass, we're just looking for someone," a second voice called, this one female.

Ryou relaxed his stance a bit until he recalled that the Ringleader, Bakura, and the Cheshire Cat had found someone last night, hence the knife thrower's absence.

'They might be friends of his,' Ryou thought, tightening his grip on his weapon. "Who are you?" he demanded, still trying to sound confident. "Who are you looking for?"

The pair stopped, the taller of the two standing between Ryou and the other figure. They were close enough now that Ryou could pick out their features a bit better in the dim light. The taller on, the man, had dirty-blond hair and golden brown eyes and seemed overly protective of the woman, who had brown hair and eyes. Both wore watching leotards which were mostly hidden by jeans and jackets.

"Hey now, we're not here for a fight," the man started, holding up his hands to show he was unarmed. "Joey and this is my sister, Serenity. We're here lookin' for our Ringleader, Mai."

"Mai?" Ryou asked, lowering his makeshift weapon.

"She disappeared yesterday and missed the show last night," Serenity explained. "When we checked her trailer we found a flier for the Nightmare Circus and thought she might have come by for a visit."

Ryou pursed his lips a moment, letting the hunk of wood drop to the ground. "She wasn't here yesterday that I know of but..." he wrung his hands, catching his lower lip in his teeth. "Well...I-I'll ask the Ringleader-my ringleader."


End file.
